Who’s in charge of Newsom’s housing plan? + (Most) 2020 Dems show in SoCal + Special election

Hello Capitol Alert readers! Capitol Bureau reporter Sophia Bollag here filling in for Hannah Wiley, who will be back later this week.

HOUSING UPDATE

In his first 10 months in office, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved $1.75 billion in new spending on housing programs and helped pass new laws to prevent evictions and rent spikes.

Despite those actions, permitting of new homes has slowed since Newsom became governor. Many housing advocates say that’s not his fault — he hasn’t been governor long enough for current permitting rates to be the result of his policies and actions.

They’ve praised the work Newsom has done so far, but many advocates say that for him to make a real dent in the shortage he needs more homebuilding expertise in his cabinet and a top adviser who can spearhead his housing agenda.

California Housing Partnership President Matt Schwartz pointed to Newsom’s recent appointment of an energy czar to develop plans to make the state’s utilities safer and financially stable.

“The state’s energy and wildfire situation is clearly worthy of a special czar appointee. So is the state’s housing crisis,” said Schwartz, whose group advocates for low-income housing developers. “The state is somewhat rudderless right now with respect to its housing policy because there is no one in the cabinet with extensive housing experience.”

Newsom argues he’s already effectively done that.

In a recent interview with The Fresno Bee editorial board, he said his senior aide Jason Elliott is his “de facto” housing czar. Elliott was instrumental in convincing tech companies to spend billions on California housing, Newsom said.

“We just got $2.5 billion from Apple because we asked,” Newsom said. “It was actually done with precision to align with the state’s strategies.”

Read more here: Is Gavin Newsom’s housing policy ‘rudderless’? Advocates want more done to lower California costs

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DEM CONVENTION

Bryan Anderson writes...

It’s been an eventful four days in the Long Beach area, with 13 Democratic presidential candidates flocking to the state to make their pitch to voters. Here’s what you need to know:

DONKEYS NOT IN THE ROOM

While 12 meandered through the state party’s convention, there were two notable absences: former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

While Warren skipped out on the state altogether, Biden elected to hold his first truly public event on Thursday in Los Angeles. Just hours after the shooting in Santa Clarita, a frustrated Biden took to the stage.

“I’m so tired of people talking about your prayers,” he said. “Dammit, we have to protect these kids.”

Biden spoke to a crowd of a few hundred people, a notably low turnout for a candidate in a large region who is leading the 2020 field in statewide California polls.

CONVENTION WINDUP

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks made some news ahead of the convention on Friday.

Hicks said he “would love” for California to be the first state to host a primary.

Garcetti narrowed his list of 2020 candidates he’s considering endorsing down from five to four. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro was moved off, as he’s failed to qualify for the upcoming Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg and Biden remain Garcetti’s top contenders. He called Biden “the most electable” candidate of the four.

Also of note: Garcetii will not be reconsidering his decision to stay out of the 2020 race.

SATURDAY CONVENTION

From robot strawberry pickers to gun violence in Gilroy, eight 2020 hopefuls addressed a bunch of issues during a forum hosted by Univision. Four candidates who didn’t qualify for the event spoke to the convention earlier in the day, with former Maryland Congressman John Delaney getting the coldest reception highlighted by a scatter of boos as he took to the stage.

“Well, I don’t think they booed me today. I didn’t notice that,” he insisted at first. He then said “it’s a problem if people are actually booing.” They were.

Spiritual leader Marianne Williamson said she has no plans to endorse a candidate, though she has previously signaled support for Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Rounding out the pack were Deval Patrick and Joe Sestak. Sestak didn’t make any headlines in his address to California delegates, while Patrick explained his reasoning for jumping into the race so late in the primary cycle.

“I’m not running to be president of the Democrats,” Patrick said. “I’m running to be president of the United States. There’s a difference. I’m not talking about a moderate agenda. This is no time for a moderate agenda. I’m talking about being woke while making room for the still waking.”

SUNDAY FORUM

Buttigieg raised eyebrows when he discussed the possibility of sending U.S. troop sent to Mexico. He said at a Latino forum hosted by ABC 7 that he’d be willing to do so to combat drug trafficking.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Candidates vying to replace Rep. Katie Hill and state Sen. Jeff Stone will face off in California’s 2020 primary on March 3, Newsom announced Friday.

Hill resigned during a House ethics investigation into an alleged relationship with a staffer, which she denies, after nude photos of her were published in a right-wing publication and a British tabloid. Hill flipped a Republican district in north Los Angeles County as part of the 2018 “Blue Wave” of Democrats who took over GOP Congressional seats.

Assemblywoman Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita, has announced she will run for the seat. Former Rep. Steve Knight, whom Hill unseated, says he will run again to retake it. Former Trump staffer George Papadopoulos, former Navy pilot Mike Garcia, bank executive Angela Underwood Jacobs, conservative conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich and left-wing commentator Cenk Uygur have also said they may run.

The Los Angeles Times has more on the race here.

Stone resigned his seat in October after President Donald Trump appointed him to a position in the U.S. Department of Labor. Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, says she will run to replace him in the Riverside County district.

Both races are scheduled to go to runoff elections on May 12.

The special primary elections coincide with California’s regularly scheduled primary elections, including the Democratic presidential primary and a ballot measure to fund school construction.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Even though Fresno is a predominately conservative area, it was nice to see how excited everyone got when they found Bernie Sanders was eating here. He and all his staff were friendly. And he tipped well.”

— Lime Lite general manager Clint Peylouret after Sanders dropped into the Fresno restaurant for a meal Friday night.

Best of the Bee:

• Burned-out California town ignores stricter building codes, even with wildfire threat by Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler
• Gavin Newsom pardons 3 immigrants facing deportation from California by Theodora Yu
• California bans government purchases of most gas-powered cars under Newsom climate order by Sophia Bollag